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IENG 464 / 465 Senior Design

Engineering Notebook Maintenance

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Engineering Notebooks

Individual Responsibility Must be legally constructed

Pages can’t be re-sequencedMissing pages are easily identified as such

Must be legally documentedEntries must be accurateEntries must be chronologicalEntries of importance should be witnessed

Examples to document:Meeting times, places, attendees, topicsRelevant phone conversationsRelevant expenditures, mileageDesign principles, concepts, sketchesEngineering results, decisions, rationale

Copies are placed in Project Notebook regularly

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Engineering Notebooks

Engineering Notebooks are a permanent record for legal purposes Notebooks have a durable cover Pages are sewn or perfect bound (not loose-leaf or

spiral bound) Entries are made with permanent methods Entries are made in sequential order & dated Errors are lined out, but not obliterated Loose material is attached within the notebook

pages (if possible), or referenced within (if not)

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Using Your Engineering Notebook

Blow-by-blow Documentation Corner of page

Date & timeLocationPersonnel present

Title of taskExperimental conditions, equipment ID numbersBlow-by-blow record of processSketches of experimental setup / design Summarize major decisions / results

Single line ends an activity, Double line ends day

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Eng. Notebook Entry Example10/1/99Team Mtg George, Jane, Judy (Elroy absent)4:15 pm Clodfelter’s Bar & GrillAgenda: Refreshments

BrainstormingMaterial Purchase

- Discussed cost vs. refreshment performance- George presented analysis showing non-linearity at high $ end- Decision to invent more effective beverage

- Brainstormed concepts- Reduced water content- Increased hops in raw stock

- Decision to invest in further research- Planned expenditure of $25.00- Actual expenditure of $26.75 due to heavy tipping

Refresh.

Level

Cost ($)